A sixth wave of bomb threats struck Jewish Community Centers across the United States once again on Tuesday, beginning at 6 am in Rochester, New York.
In addition, the New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that several of its regional offices had received bomb threats as well.
We just received multiple at ADL offices. Law enforcement personnel are responding. More details to come.
— ADL (@ADL_National) March 7, 2017
Approximately 75 JCC members and staff were rushed out of the building, according to local media, as parents were notified and asked to make alternate daycare arrangements for their children for the day, the Democrat & Chronicle newspaper reported.
FBI agents were at the scene together with state and local police officers to sweep the building and attempt to collect evidence that might help to track the perpetrator.
A bomb threat was also called in to the JCC in Syracuse, New York. The DeWitt Jewish Community Center in Syracuse, New York was not evacuated, but instead was placed on lockdown after it, too, received a threat at 9:44 am local time Tuesday, the third such incident since January 1. The facility reopened at 11:15 am after police and K9 units swept the building. Police said that the threat received at DeWitt did not involve a bomb on Tuesday.
A JCC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin was also evacuated, as were JCCs in Portland, Oregon; Rockville, Maryland.
In response to an email threat, the JCC is currently closed. We look forward to updating when we return to scheduled operations
— JCCMilwaukee (@JCCMilwaukee) March 7, 2017
The David Posnack Jewish Day School in Davie, Florida also received a threat but went on lockdown and did not evacuate.
The David Posnack Jewish Day School received another threat this morning, NOT the JCC. At this time we are on lockdown and not evacuating.
— David Posnack JCC (@DPJCC) March 7, 2017
Meanwhile, the JCC Association of North America responded with a blunt confirmation of “a developing situation in which several JCCs have received either emailed or phoned-in bomb threats overnight and this morning. We will follow up with more information as it becomes available.”
Shortly after, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement Tuesday in response to the threats:
“New York has always stood as a beacon of diversity and inclusion, and we will continue to stand united in the face of this virulent strain of hatred and anti-Semitism.
The bomb threats at the Brighton and DeWitt Jewish Community Centers and the Anti-Defamation League headquarters in Manhattan mark the latest pointed assault on the values we hold dear, and we will not allow these types of threats to continue to pervade our society. Jewish Community Centers across New York serve as a gathering place for children, seniors, friends and neighbors — and any threat to them is an attack on all of us.
I am directing the New York State Police to coordinate with federal and local law enforcement to launch a full investigation into these latest incidents to ensure that the perpetrators of these reprehensible crimes are held fully accountable for their actions. State Police are on the scene at all three incidents and are continuing to assist federal and local officials as well as JCC membership and staff and ADL local affiliates. These incidents go against every tenet of our state’s tradition, and we will continue to send a strong message that New York has zero tolerance for intolerance.”